Sunday, January 18, 2009

freind or lover

Rosco was going to let this go with Gordy about his love life. He'd laugh how it really wasn't much of one. OK, it was good. Really good when it happened. Only he didn't know when it might happen.

Half the time, he thought Charlotte was just babysitting. The way she questioned him if he'd done all his homework. Had he gotten the library books back to the library. And if he called her on all this mothering, she'd give him the silent treatment.

Then there was the whole bed situation. He'd actually gotten rid of his little twin bed only he hadn't told his Mom yet. It wasn't like it was an airloom. Afterall, he was a bedwetter when he was a kid. Not exactly something you wanted to share with a friend or lover.

So he'd bought the futon off a friend from work who'd broken up with her boyfriend who needed the cash. Plus she just felt better not to see that futon anymore.

He'd taken care of all this while his Mom was at work on a snow day from school. The remains of his boyhood was down in the basement now. Stacked neatly away, And now a new adventure had begun even if the futon wasn't that comfortable.

"Don't you think she'd have thrown me out by now if she'd noticed?" Charlotte wasn't even sneaking in or out anymore.

"I guess." And that was about all was said about the sleeping arrangements.

And now that the term paper was done which he'd done his best to rewrite as many times as she'd asked, he didn't know what their next problem project would be. Rosco always got a feeling he'd wake onee day, and she wouldn't be here. Sort of like a stray cat who had came in from the cold but needed some sort of new tale to begin.

"Does he even know where you are?" Rosco asked about her Dad late one night when it was time for sleep and not for anything else.

"Why should he? He doesn't care." She shrugged as if he wasn't worth speaking of.

Rosco had a good mind to go see this man she didn't dare mention. Perhaps he was a bit like his own, he'd somehow moved on and created some sort of invisible walls to shut everyone out.

"I hit him in the head with a frying pan once." She said as if it might have just been a bad dream now. "I can't say what I might do if-if I had to be there. He's not a nice person. Especially, when he drinks and thats all he has. Now." She tensed when she talked about it.

"Has he ever hurt you?" Rosco felt sure there had to be more.

"No." She swelled up a frown. "He makes me want to throw things. He took my bedroom door off the hinges. He drove me to a women's shelter once wanting to kick me out. Then when he thought he might have to give up the rights to me, well, he changed his tune, sort of. He just wants the money my mother left to me. And it'll be gone pretty soon... as soon as school is out. I'll be useless to him by then."

This didn't set well at all with Rosco. She was far from useless, especially to him. Somehow he'd have to celebrate every little thing with her until her departure to the military. And if she was a little bossy, perhaps that was just what he needed.

6 comments:

Cate said...

Haha, Charlotte really seems to "babysit" Rosco a bit :D
Hm. When I was a kid, I was always so scared of wetting my bed. Once after I'd eaten fish soup [when I was about six] I wet my bed afterwards, and I haven't eaten fish soup since because I was so scared of wetting my bed again. I was praying to God every night "Please let me not wet my bed" because I was so scared. But I was never actually a bedwetter.
I like people who are like stray cats.
Ow. That must have been pretty hard on Charlotte, having had to go as far as hitting her father with a frying pan.

diane said...

Rosco's life is a nightmare. The only thing keeping him there is Charlotte, but she's a bit of a nightmare, too.

Syed said...

Aww poor Charlotte, sounds like a rough situation to be in for both of them really.

ellie said...

I do feel bad for Charlotte. I hope Rosco is happy.

Anonymous said...

Rosco seems to be in the depth of winter..somehow with Charlotte.

Unknown said...

wooo...he could really have his hands full there. Hope he knows what he's doing.